A CONTRIBUTION of £10m to the Global Biodiversity Framework Fund (GBFF) was announced during the Global Environment Facility assembly in Vancouver, Canada. During the assembly, Nature Minister Trudy Harrison pledged the contribution which will go towards protecting species and ecosystems globally.
The newly established international fund aims to tackle global biodiversity loss. More than half of global GDP – $44 trillion – is linked to biodiversity and supports the livelihoods of some of the remotest communities on the planet.
Nature Minister Trudy Harrison said “As we confront the critical challenge of halting and reversing biodiversity loss around the world, working together has never been more important.”
The newly launched fund will support the implementation of the landmark Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF) – agreed by almost 200 countries – which sets out a plan of action to half and reverse biodiversity loss by 2030.
Now that the fund has been launched, it will build on the existing work of the Global Environment Facility (GEF), which supports developing countries in tackling major environmental problems and provides funding for environmental projects in 144 Overseas Development Aid eligible countries. It will support implementation of the Global Biodiversity Framework and the fund will be open to all sources of financial contributions.
The UK government says that it is also taking action at home through the Environmental Improvement Plan. This sets out the range of actions the UK will take domestically to meet its commitment to protect 30% of the world’s land and ocean by 2030 and halt and then reverse the decline in nature.
For example, since 2010 government has created or restored priority habitat equivalent to the size of Dorset, they are investing more than £750 million in tree-planting and peatland restoration through the Nature for Climate Fund, and they have established a network of marine protected areas across 35,000 square miles of English waters.